War of Cape Kraken
'''The War of Cape Kraken '''was an armed conflict between the North, led by Lord _____ Stark, and the Iron Islands, led by Lord _____ Goodbrother. It began as a result of Lord Goodbrother's attempts to expand his domain by seizing Cape Kraken and Bear Island, territories that had, in antiquity, been Ironborn territories. The conflict ended in a decisive Northman victory; King Maekar II Targaryen revoked the title of Lord Reaper from House Goodbrother, giving it instead to House Harlaw. Background The last winter had been harsh on the Iron Islands. With the reforms of Lord Harras Greyjoy done away with, the Islands struggled to feed themselves. The smallfolk and many Lords blamed Lord Goodbrother for the shortage, whether that blame was deserved or not. From then on, Lord Goodbrother sought out a way to ensure the food security of the Islands, without resorting to bringing Greenlanders onto the Islands to spearhead further reforms. He found his solution in Bear Island and Cape Kraken. Separated from the majority of the North, yet more fertile than the Islands, Lord Goodbrother thought that he would be able to seize them when the Kingdom was otherwise distracted, hopefully capturing several Lords in the process. He then planned to use those Lords as leverage to ensure peace, and secure his new-found territory. The opportunity he awaited presented itself in the dead of winter, when the South concerned themselves with the abduction of House Martell by Grazdan the Gruesome. Conflict Lord Goodbrother set out with most of the men he could muster; few were left to defend the Islands proper. One prong of the attack, led by Lord Goodbrother, fell upon Cape Kraken, while the other sailed north towards Bear Island under the command of Lord Blacktyde. Lord Goodbrother initially met little resistance--the winter was a harsh one, and the Lords of the Cape were blind to the outside world, holed up in the Keeps to escape the bitter winds. When word finally reached Winterfell, Cape Kraken had already fallen. The letters he sent out to his vassals were not well received--many had already died in the winter, and supplies were running thin. Still, he managed to levy enough that he was able to march south to meet the Ironborn. Meanwhile, Lord Blacktyde's force was hit by a rogue storm, blowing them off course. Their arrival at Bear Island was significantly delayed, as they sought to regroup on the Stoney Shore before progressing further. House Fisher's forces struggled, and were forced to surrender more ground than they would have liked, but their castle did not fall. It took much longer than expected for the Northern forces to reach Cape Kraken; the roads were covered in snow. Many men succumbed to the cold before they ever saw battle. The Northmen arrived to find the Ironborn had fortified the Fever River, intending to keep the Northmen from crossing into the occupied territory. What followed was a tense period of waiting. The armies watched each other from across the river; the Ironborn had no intention of crossing, and the Northerners needed the weather on their side to attempt an assault over the river. It was deception that won the Northmen the day. Ironborn scouts had been deceived by false lights in the camp at night. While three quarters of the Stark force camped at the one side of the river, the other circumvented the river using the footpaths through the Neck that only the Crannogmen knew of. Some say that they met suspiciously little resistance on the eastern flank of the camp--everywhere they expected to find scouts or sentries, they instead found corpses, or nothing at all. With a cry, they attacked the Ironborn camp at night, and during the ensuing chaos, the Northmen managed to cross the Fever. Despite the surprise, the Ironborn still managed to put up a valiant effort; Northern casualties were heavy (more than a few drowned in the river, as the crossing was even more dangerous in the dark), but when the sun rose, the Ironborn had fallen. Lord Goodbrother was among those taken captive.The battle became known as The Battle of the Fever. Lord Blacktyde's forces met little resistance when they finally reached Bear Island, but they soon after received orders from Lord Goodbrother. They were defeated, and the force was to return to the Iron Islands. Aftermath When news reached Maekar in King's Landing, he was livid. The Ironborn had violated the King's Peace, and they would pay the price. Lord Goodbrother was stripped of his position of Lord Reaper. The title was instead granted to the loser of The Great Bleeding, House Harlaw. Maekar thought that, by at least respecting the existence of the contest, he might strengthen the legitimacy of the new Lord Reaper's position. In the North, the remainder of the winter was difficult, especially for the Flints of Flint's Finger, the Mormonts of Bear Island, and the Fishers of the Stoney Shore. Category:The North Category:The Iron Islands